by Simon Williams, at Old Trafford

It was stalemate in the battle between the master and the apprentice as Robin van Persie netted an injury time equaliser to give Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United a 1-1 draw against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.

Didier Drogba started the game only due to Diego Costa and Loic Remy’s injuries, but he pounced in the 53rd to score his first Premier League goal since March 2012.

But Chelsea were reduced to 10 men when Branislav Ivanovic was sent off in the third minute of injury time before van Persie netted the winner just seconds later.

Chelsea went into the game as the only undefeated team left in the Premier League this season and having dropped just two points.

United had won their last three previous league games but had only kept two clean sheets in nine competitive games under the stewardship of van Gaal.

Despite an entertaining tactical battle between van Gaal and Mourinho, who once worked together at Barcelona, the first -half failed to produce any goals.

This was no surprise as the two sides’ last three league meetings at Old Trafford have all been goalless at half-time.

The hosts were the better of the two sides with their midfield nullifying Cesc Fabregas’s influence on the game.

Van Persie and Drogba led the line well for their respective sides but failed to beat the impressive David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois.

The Blues felt they should have had a penalty midway through the half when Branislav Ivanovic looked to have been impeded by Chris Smalling.

But referee Phil Dowd waved away any protests from the Chelsea players.

The deadlock was finally broken eight minutes after the break when de Gea brilliantly saved an Eden Hazard shot following a neat one-two with Drogba.

Fabregas took the resulting corner which was headed into the back of the net by Drogba’s towering figure at the near post.

It was the ninth time in nine league games this season that Fabregas had been involved in a Chelsea goal — scoring one and assisting eight.

But Chelsea failed to kill the game off and were left to rue their missed chances in the dying embers of the game.

Ivanovic was dismissed for a second bookable offence deep in stoppage time for a challenge on Angel di Maria near the corner flag.

The Argentine stepped up to take the resulting free-kick which was drilled home by van Persie to give his side the spoils.